Strategies for optimizing the supply of N95 respirators

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
• Description:
  Updated Nov. 23, 2020
  
  Once personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and availability return to normal, healthcare facilities should promptly resume conventional practices.
  
  Summary of Updates as of November 23, 2020
  
  • Added considerations for returning to conventional capacity practices
  
  • Conventional capacity strategies
  
  o Combined the sections on training on indications for use and proper use of respirators
  
  • Contingency capacity strategies
  
  o Added clarifications on extended use
  
  • Crisis capacity strategies
  
  o Added clarifications on limited re-use and decontamination, including clarification on a recommendation to limit the number of reuses to no more than five uses (five donnings) per device to ensure adequate respirator performance if no manufacturer guidance is available
  
  o Removed the strategy of designating convalescent HCP for provision of care to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients
  
  Audience: These considerations are intended for use by federal, state, and local public health officials, respiratory protection program managers, leaders in occupational health services and infection prevention and control programs, and other leaders in healthcare settings who are responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures for preventing pathogen transmission in healthcare settings.
  
  Purpose: This document offers a series of strategies or options to optimize supplies of disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirators (commonly called “N95 respirators”) in healthcare settings when there is limited supply. It does not address other aspects of pandemic planning; for those, healthcare facilities can refer to COVID-19 preparedness plans. The strategies are also listed in order of priority and preference in the Summary for Healthcare Facilities: Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators during the COVID-19 Response in an easy-to-use format for healthcare facilities.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Coronavirus Infections/prevention & Control COVID-19/prevention & Control Health Personnel N95 Respirators Occupational Exposure/prevention & Control Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory Protective Devices/supply & Demand Respiratory Tract Infections/prevention & Control
• Document Type:
  Webpage
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• File Type: